Countdown to Christmas 2020 (thread 13): the one with(out) the M&S vanishing gin!

[NoWordForFluffy]

Evening!

New thread here. I'm pretty sure this one breaks all previous records!

Morning all. DH has offered to go to ikea and buy a real tree once lockdown is over! He is usually of the opinion that Christmas just happens and that i plan obsessively over think it! Oxford St looks strange at the moment- the lights are on but it is so quiet.
Planning to marzipan my cakes this weekend and finish and post DD's calendar and check what cards we have (I bought some in the sales ).

The "too early to think about Christmas" people baffle me as much as I baffle them, I'm sure. Especially this year when the media is full of articles about shopping online early to avoid potential delivery problems and staying out of physical shops as much as possible. I compare them to people who are happily planning their summer holiday months in advance.

Morning, slept a bit better (woke twice but went back asleep and then overslept). DH agrees we need to be on time the rest of the week (he’s the biggest culprit in drifting late). Physio shortly then the joys of a section meeting on —zoom— webex. I think I’m going to work in the office a few days once lockdown eases for my sanity.

Finished the knitting on last scarf last night - lots of ends to sew in but should manage that in 1 session. Need a sewing day soon to finish those jobs.

Saw my first 2 trees, an 8’ snowman indoors and loads of Christmas lights up when out walking last night...it’s definitely started here.

I've had words with BFN (binny fucker neighbour) about something unrelated so am even more 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 He is absolutely the most pathetic excuse of humanity.

We have a cake but I was planning to do the marzipan at the last minute - is there an advantage to doing it in advance?

Spill the beans, Boots!

I'm a planner in general, Woolly. I struggle to understand non-planners!

Your wedding spreadsheet was pretty epic Fluffy

herecomesthesun I don't think so. I also usually do mine as late as possible but I'm having to post one of mine so I'll probably do the marzipan on the first weekend in December and then ice them a couple of days later. St. Delia recommends leaving a couple of days between marzipan and icing so that the marzipan dries out a bit and the oils don't seep into the icing and discolour it.

Morning. Zombie bench for me today, my mouth / gum was sore and kept me awake until almost 3am 😴

Fluffy my DH refuses to talk about Christmas before December but I often find the presents he gets me were organised in the summer 🙄

Dsis thinks I'm mad for planning so early. She does a big shopping day (usually going to 2 toy shops) and buys 80% of her presents. Then spends 1 evening ordering the rest online. It works for her because she saves all year and cashes that out in November - but I wouldn't cope with the stress of doing all that the first week of December!

Oh dear puss, horrible neighbours are just the worst. What happened?
I'm Another one who has a GFN (grumpy fucker neighbour). I live on a street of selfish arseholes anyway but GFN locks his naughty dog outside and let's him whine / howl / bark, goes on drunken dog walks in the middle of the night and full on hates us. He used to show this by making passive aggressive comments whenever I was outside - only me mind you, never DH. That stopped when he damaged our gate and refused to answer the door when I knocked to discuss it I may have become a bit of a fish wife and he's skirted around me ever since

Ooh, Crazy, I've fish-wifed at the opposite neighbours twice. Both due to them parking over our drive, blocking us out. I hammered on the door until she answered the first time! As in really hammered!

Why, I'd forgotten the wedding spreadsheet! 😂

Someone help me make a decision, please 😂

I am dithering over ordering some personalised Quality Street tins. 2 x family plus one for my friend who's husband is putting together DH's potting bench. The dilemma is that they cost more than I paid in JL last year vs the novelty value and the fact that I know the recipients will really like them.

Morning everyone. Definitely in the 'no sleep club', was still awake at 4.30 and had to get up and take a tab to make me sleep. Feel so tired today.

I feel your pain Boots we have an arsey neighbour beside us too, he constantly sells stuff at every hour of the day and night all manor of people descending onto his doorstep all through lockdown and always parks in our spaces grrrrr! We've had many words on the subject and his weevil of a girlfriend is even worse, she doesn't live around here and speaks as if she's lady of the manor. There, rant over. Also can't stand all the 'don't understand why you plan for Christmas in the Summer' folk. There seems to be so many of them around this year.

It does look really eerie Constantly

Hope the meeting and work goes well Wreck

Glad you slept better Biddy

Hope you're feeling better Crazy

Woolly I've seen on Facebook a company advertising personalisation for sweet tubs - it's basically a piece of paper that covers the top of the lid. Is that what you were looking at? If not, it might be a cheaper version?

Woolly how much are they? I could be tempted myself as something for my fil.

I have to go and get a few tests done tomorrow and the prep for it is awful.

Neros they are £15.99 plus £2.99 delivery. You can have a standard tin with all the chocolates in or customise it with up to 6 chocolates from the range. In normal times you could keep the tin and go into certain branches of JL to buy replacement chocs.

Is it anything to do with laxatives / drinking nasty stuff, Neros? I hope the tests go well.

Woolly, if they're in-budget I'd just do it. Sod it! 🎅🏻🎄

Firefly I've got a personalised tin from last year and they are really good. I don't think a label will look as nice - however, I've used the labels for things like the jars of Nutella and they work really well.

Neros good luck with the prep and the tests.

It is in budget Fluffy. I've sent for the one for my friend and will think about the ones for family. They both have relatively new puppies so I'm also hesitating a little bit because of that. I may have to chat it over with the Grinch DH.

Nero good luck 💐
Woolly I'd go for a normal tin (1kg tin is £7.50 in sains) as there aren't that many sweets that would get left behind and some people will just chuck the tin anyway or give it back for a refill

Just watched Christmas with the Kranks again and completed an Autism and Christmas course for school.

Good luck for tomorrow Neros hope it goes well.

What am I doing, trying to make a cheese sauce with two sachets--one hollandaise and one parsley, definitely getting old.

Costco do the 2kg tins for £13.89 ( don't know if that;s inc VAT)

Costwise not sure - Tesco are doing 2 for £7 on Quality Street , so you could get 4x 650g for £14 .
But the Costco one is a Proper Big Tin .... (though not personalised )

I have loads of Chocolate Eclairs from the Heroes tubs (the ones no-one eats) waiting to get melted down into toffee sauce .

My WeRChristmas extra long pre-lit garland arrived ( hurrah )

I'm thinking Neros tests involve a 'prep' that will chain her to the toilet for the foreseeable . Done that .
Looking at a huge jug of prep that tastes like lemony salty bicarbonate of soda , thinking "I need to neck that" and then a second dose . Ugh !

Woolly I would probably buy the tins to be honest.

I'm bowing out for the evening I think. Dentist did not go well - where my filling came out, it cracked the tooth and today when they removed the temp fix I'd put in, a chunk of the tooth came out with it! Essentially my choice is root canal and crown and just hope that works with only half a tooth left, or have the tooth out (and if I do that I have to choose between a gap, denture, plate or bridge).
None of the options appeal, and while they were digging around and putting a decent temp fix in they've made my face sore. I'm worried they were near a nerve as once or twice it felt like an electric shock through the jaw ☹️
Essentially, I'm sore and miserable so going to watch crap tv and go to bed early with painkillers.

Crazy 💐

Which tooth is it, Crazy? DH went for extraction last year when similar happened.

I hope you're feeling better soon.

Oh no crazy that sounds horrible. I hate the dentist so much. I hope you're not in too much pain.